surlydiesel
Adventurer
Time to yank the plastic bedliner!!!!
I'm enjoying the build. Thanks for posting the updates.
-jorge
I'm enjoying the build. Thanks for posting the updates.
-jorge
The overland beater: Dodge 1500
- Thread starter kraven
- Start date
kraven
Hegelian Scum
Yeah, the generosity of the Overlanding community, with both knowledge and material stuff, is something I really appreciate.
Gotta get some brackets welded up for the bumper and get the old one off the truck. Looking forward to that.
Just to recap for the people at home, since we're on a new page and I haven't done the costs recap in a while:
Parts cost
spicer ujoint 28.99
front axle inner seal 8.99
Optima 141
Engine Gaskets sets (felpro) 167.85
timing set (comp double roller) 42
timing cover (used) 46
balancer 56
bypass hose 4.81
fuel tank straps 29.8
fuel pump 80
Bedliner rattle cans (3) 30
headlight 3.75
Oil Filter (Wix) 7.25
Diff clutch pack (spicer) 60.47
Radiator 100
Wheel seals (rear) 10
Gear Oil 24
heater core 32
multi function switch 40
brass splice 5
air filter 13.11
PCV 4
Vacuum tube 5
trans filter kit 14.14
tailgate bushing kit 10.1
throttle cable 35
Motor Oil 16
Subtotal 1015.26
Actual overlanding accessories:
Accesssories cost
steel wheels 60
Rancho damper 55
tires 535
KYB shocks 50
Rancho shocks 100
Steel rear bumper 0
Tire carrier 0
Bed mat 0
Hitch carrier basket 0 Thanks to 35XJ for these bits
Subtotal 800
Heads replacement parts:
heads castings bare: 540
valves 135.84
springs 40
retainers 25
seals 0 (came with gasket set)
shipping 65
Subtotal 805.84
I also spent another 200 bucks ($205.45) on shop supplies and some tools like that neato Lisle valve keeper tool, but I'm kind of indifferent as to whether I should even include that. But I feel like it's a greater degree of honesty to mention it so people reading along can do the math that way if they want.
So, all in, every penny accounted for, I'm at 3476.55. I feel like that's an important number because for people who want to get into overlanding and not break the bank. This project indicates that is totally doable, if you get your hands dirty and keep to a specific idea of what kind of vehicle you want, accept the limitations that come with that (just say no to mission creep), and budget realistically.
So that's why I've decided to copy all my detailed expenditures for the beater here. So anyone following along or thinking about a budget build can see what the real costs are.
Gotta get some brackets welded up for the bumper and get the old one off the truck. Looking forward to that.
Just to recap for the people at home, since we're on a new page and I haven't done the costs recap in a while:
Parts cost
spicer ujoint 28.99
front axle inner seal 8.99
Optima 141
Engine Gaskets sets (felpro) 167.85
timing set (comp double roller) 42
timing cover (used) 46
balancer 56
bypass hose 4.81
fuel tank straps 29.8
fuel pump 80
Bedliner rattle cans (3) 30
headlight 3.75
Oil Filter (Wix) 7.25
Diff clutch pack (spicer) 60.47
Radiator 100
Wheel seals (rear) 10
Gear Oil 24
heater core 32
multi function switch 40
brass splice 5
air filter 13.11
PCV 4
Vacuum tube 5
trans filter kit 14.14
tailgate bushing kit 10.1
throttle cable 35
Motor Oil 16
Subtotal 1015.26
Actual overlanding accessories:
Accesssories cost
steel wheels 60
Rancho damper 55
tires 535
KYB shocks 50
Rancho shocks 100
Steel rear bumper 0
Tire carrier 0
Bed mat 0
Hitch carrier basket 0 Thanks to 35XJ for these bits
Subtotal 800
Heads replacement parts:
heads castings bare: 540
valves 135.84
springs 40
retainers 25
seals 0 (came with gasket set)
shipping 65
Subtotal 805.84
I also spent another 200 bucks ($205.45) on shop supplies and some tools like that neato Lisle valve keeper tool, but I'm kind of indifferent as to whether I should even include that. But I feel like it's a greater degree of honesty to mention it so people reading along can do the math that way if they want.
So, all in, every penny accounted for, I'm at 3476.55. I feel like that's an important number because for people who want to get into overlanding and not break the bank. This project indicates that is totally doable, if you get your hands dirty and keep to a specific idea of what kind of vehicle you want, accept the limitations that come with that (just say no to mission creep), and budget realistically.
So that's why I've decided to copy all my detailed expenditures for the beater here. So anyone following along or thinking about a budget build can see what the real costs are.
kraven
Hegelian Scum
The next sort of phase of this project has me adding some bits to the truck for everyday use like hauling firewood and motorcycles and whatnot. Using it as an everyday beater. But I'm also adding some things to promote overlanding function as well.
I like having a headache rack on a truck just in case of a crash or accident to keep things from crashing through the rear glass and into the cab. I think that's just pragmatic if you have a truck bed stocked with gasoline cans and tools and stuff on a trip or if you're hauling stuff around locally. Stuff happens. And it's a good way to get a front hoop by the cab for an overhead rack you can use for gear. Pairing it with a goalpost at the end of the bed helps make a materials rack but also a good platform for elevated camping. I got a lot of good ideas at the expo I'm hoping to capitalize on.
So, I'm going to work on building or buying something like this:
Ideally I'd like to buy a tubing bender and start doing my own tubing stuff, but that's a lot of capital to invest in something I use infrequently. I have a welder and all that already. I'll just have to see if the cost:benefit works out for buying or paying to have it made. Frugal is the name of the game here.
I've also been haunting the accessories section of the forum and reading up on tablets and software for nav and music. Black Friday deals are upon us. So, I'll probably be buying a 7 inch tablet and a ram mount, and maybe a ram mount for my phone too. I've been looking around for a CB to install in the truck as well, along with an antenna for the new rear bumper.
Recovery gear is another story too. Now that the original plastic bed liner is coming out, and I'll probably paint the bed surface in bedliner, I'm going to put some quick fists in to the bed sides and attach some hand tools, maybe make a place to secure my chainsaw. Or maybe I'll put those on the rack setup. I'm also shopping pretty hard for a winch too. It's getting pretty tight in the budget, but I'm going to keep my eyes open for a Warn product. But the guys over on the Dodge forums say that an extra cab 1500 really finds a 9.5k or 10k winch to be bare minimum and that a 12.5 is really what I'll need. That shoves me into a more expensive product bracket and maybe out of reach of Warn product, unless I buy used on eBay or get lucky on craigs or something. Still kind of liking the idea of using receivers front and rear with a removable winch so I don't have to ride around with the winch permanently mounted. The big grille/fenders and radiator placement in the Ram usually means a winch needs a bumper that juts forward a bit.
But as the truck sits, I can throw a shovel, axe, hatchet, and my camping gear in the back, along with a gas can or two, and head out onto some backroads to have some fun. So, it's pretty okay right now. My biggest enemy right now is ground clearance and traction, and probably not having a way to drag the truck out of a mudhole. But I could probably do most of the TAT with it like it sits right now, if I camp on the ground and judiciously choose my lines through muddy sections and rock. On the highway, the things just bebops down the road with no drama. The Rancho dampers and steering parts really straightened it out, and the Kumhos aren't loud at all.
So far, so bueno. But I still have work to do.
I like having a headache rack on a truck just in case of a crash or accident to keep things from crashing through the rear glass and into the cab. I think that's just pragmatic if you have a truck bed stocked with gasoline cans and tools and stuff on a trip or if you're hauling stuff around locally. Stuff happens. And it's a good way to get a front hoop by the cab for an overhead rack you can use for gear. Pairing it with a goalpost at the end of the bed helps make a materials rack but also a good platform for elevated camping. I got a lot of good ideas at the expo I'm hoping to capitalize on.
So, I'm going to work on building or buying something like this:
Ideally I'd like to buy a tubing bender and start doing my own tubing stuff, but that's a lot of capital to invest in something I use infrequently. I have a welder and all that already. I'll just have to see if the cost:benefit works out for buying or paying to have it made. Frugal is the name of the game here.
I've also been haunting the accessories section of the forum and reading up on tablets and software for nav and music. Black Friday deals are upon us. So, I'll probably be buying a 7 inch tablet and a ram mount, and maybe a ram mount for my phone too. I've been looking around for a CB to install in the truck as well, along with an antenna for the new rear bumper.
Recovery gear is another story too. Now that the original plastic bed liner is coming out, and I'll probably paint the bed surface in bedliner, I'm going to put some quick fists in to the bed sides and attach some hand tools, maybe make a place to secure my chainsaw. Or maybe I'll put those on the rack setup. I'm also shopping pretty hard for a winch too. It's getting pretty tight in the budget, but I'm going to keep my eyes open for a Warn product. But the guys over on the Dodge forums say that an extra cab 1500 really finds a 9.5k or 10k winch to be bare minimum and that a 12.5 is really what I'll need. That shoves me into a more expensive product bracket and maybe out of reach of Warn product, unless I buy used on eBay or get lucky on craigs or something. Still kind of liking the idea of using receivers front and rear with a removable winch so I don't have to ride around with the winch permanently mounted. The big grille/fenders and radiator placement in the Ram usually means a winch needs a bumper that juts forward a bit.
But as the truck sits, I can throw a shovel, axe, hatchet, and my camping gear in the back, along with a gas can or two, and head out onto some backroads to have some fun. So, it's pretty okay right now. My biggest enemy right now is ground clearance and traction, and probably not having a way to drag the truck out of a mudhole. But I could probably do most of the TAT with it like it sits right now, if I camp on the ground and judiciously choose my lines through muddy sections and rock. On the highway, the things just bebops down the road with no drama. The Rancho dampers and steering parts really straightened it out, and the Kumhos aren't loud at all.
So far, so bueno. But I still have work to do.
kraven
Hegelian Scum
Picked up a phablet during the holiday sales, a 9.3 Samsung E. Got Ram mount stuff coming for it. I'll have about 200 total in the tab and mounts, so that brings the total cost of the project to 3600 and change. However, I can use the tablet for a head unit and gps and whatnot.
We're having a really unseasonably warm December, so I'm trying to finish up some motorcycle projects and stuff. So, the beater is on the back burner for a bit.
However, I did take a 4 hour trip with it and it held up just fine. Actually runs better now.
On the trip I did notice that a couple of the speakers are shot, since they get fuzzy after playing for a bit. And the volume knob is sketchy. So, I may get a new head unit with a line in so I can plug the tablet in and play my music across it. Or bluetooth or whatever the kids are doing nowadays.
Hope you had a nice holiday, wherever you are reading this from.
We're having a really unseasonably warm December, so I'm trying to finish up some motorcycle projects and stuff. So, the beater is on the back burner for a bit.
However, I did take a 4 hour trip with it and it held up just fine. Actually runs better now.
On the trip I did notice that a couple of the speakers are shot, since they get fuzzy after playing for a bit. And the volume knob is sketchy. So, I may get a new head unit with a line in so I can plug the tablet in and play my music across it. Or bluetooth or whatever the kids are doing nowadays.
Hope you had a nice holiday, wherever you are reading this from.
kraven
Hegelian Scum
Thought I'd make a brief tire report, since the AT51 Kumho isn't a household name here on ExPo.
So far so good. The tire is a good combination of attributes. It's pretty low on noise and harshness on the highway, as long as you maintain the pressures. It does pretty good in mud, considering it's not a full tilt mud tire. Just had some snow and I'm really impressed with the traction. Our sorry excuse for snow is generally 6 inches of white stuff that turns to ice the first night and makes roads into hockey rinks. The AT51 gave me super traction on these surfaces. I did all the snow/ice in 2wd, in fact. The only time I had to use 4wd is when I stopped at the Porsche dealer yesterday and didn't want to accidentally slide into one of their fancy Audis because they hadn't pushed snow in the lot.
Anyway, I feel like these tires are a good compromise between street manners and daily driver chores, while being good for offroad and snow stuff as long as you don't get too crazy. And without lift and 35's, I don't get too crazy in the beater.
We're in full melt right now, but you can still see the snow-ice on the concrete. Pretty happy with my tires.
It's due to warm up this week into the 60's, so I hope I'll get to install the bumper and tire mount, make the headache rack, etc.
So far so good. The tire is a good combination of attributes. It's pretty low on noise and harshness on the highway, as long as you maintain the pressures. It does pretty good in mud, considering it's not a full tilt mud tire. Just had some snow and I'm really impressed with the traction. Our sorry excuse for snow is generally 6 inches of white stuff that turns to ice the first night and makes roads into hockey rinks. The AT51 gave me super traction on these surfaces. I did all the snow/ice in 2wd, in fact. The only time I had to use 4wd is when I stopped at the Porsche dealer yesterday and didn't want to accidentally slide into one of their fancy Audis because they hadn't pushed snow in the lot.
Anyway, I feel like these tires are a good compromise between street manners and daily driver chores, while being good for offroad and snow stuff as long as you don't get too crazy. And without lift and 35's, I don't get too crazy in the beater.
We're in full melt right now, but you can still see the snow-ice on the concrete. Pretty happy with my tires.
It's due to warm up this week into the 60's, so I hope I'll get to install the bumper and tire mount, make the headache rack, etc.
kraven
Hegelian Scum
Bumper is getting installed. The stock was one pretty ratchet and see through in points. I was getting tired of looking at it and knowing I had the steel plate one sitting in the garage.
Had to make some mounts for it, since my frame rails are narrower than whatever this bumper was made for. This is the one I dug out of 35xj's scrap pile.
Got some 3/16 2x4 channel and a beer carton and got to work.
So, as you can see from the old bumper, the truck took a pretty good hit to the pass rear. It was enough to push the bed corner in and mongle that a good inche or two from where it should have been. The bumper is also bowed, which I didn't notice til I fit it up on the mounts. So, the center hits the tailgate if you hang it where it should be, or the sides are lower than they should be. With the bed out of square a little, I just kind of am having to eyeball it and hang the thing the best I can get it.
I'm bolting it on with one on each side, and then welding it to the c-channel mounts I made. That way it'll bolt to the frame for removal or whatever, but not sag under weight/time.
It's important to remember when you work with a half ton that the frame under the bed usually won't be boxed. At least on 2nd gen rams. These half tons have c channel frames. So, the frame can twist. If you build the bumper right, it'll be a good tie on on the end of the frame and provide some degree of extra rigidity. But also you can twist the crap out of the frame is you let some knucklehead drag you out of a tight spot at an angle.
Anyway, I'm thinking about adding some pull plates to the mounts while I have it apart and protruding them through the bumper.
Should be able to get it finished this weekend and have a good solid bumper with a tire carrier.
Anyway, so far so good.
Had to make some mounts for it, since my frame rails are narrower than whatever this bumper was made for. This is the one I dug out of 35xj's scrap pile.
Got some 3/16 2x4 channel and a beer carton and got to work.
So, as you can see from the old bumper, the truck took a pretty good hit to the pass rear. It was enough to push the bed corner in and mongle that a good inche or two from where it should have been. The bumper is also bowed, which I didn't notice til I fit it up on the mounts. So, the center hits the tailgate if you hang it where it should be, or the sides are lower than they should be. With the bed out of square a little, I just kind of am having to eyeball it and hang the thing the best I can get it.
I'm bolting it on with one on each side, and then welding it to the c-channel mounts I made. That way it'll bolt to the frame for removal or whatever, but not sag under weight/time.
It's important to remember when you work with a half ton that the frame under the bed usually won't be boxed. At least on 2nd gen rams. These half tons have c channel frames. So, the frame can twist. If you build the bumper right, it'll be a good tie on on the end of the frame and provide some degree of extra rigidity. But also you can twist the crap out of the frame is you let some knucklehead drag you out of a tight spot at an angle.
Anyway, I'm thinking about adding some pull plates to the mounts while I have it apart and protruding them through the bumper.
Should be able to get it finished this weekend and have a good solid bumper with a tire carrier.
Anyway, so far so good.
Last edited:
chilliwak
Expedition Leader
The bumper looks great:Wow1: Kraven. Funny how you can get usefull things out of a scrap pile. My truck was also a beater I saved from the scrap yard. It took me almost 5 years to stop all the oil leaks. Thats why the front half of the frame and body on my truck is almost rust free. You have a good idea going there by lining up the box and other bent pieces as best you can, and then mounting your bumper. Also like you say its going to be way more rigid at the back with a heavy duty bumper mounted. My buddy Rick at Chilliwack Spring service uses old U bolts as tie off points for recovery lines and stuff. He just welds them on where needed and you have a good anchor point thats strong and with a big opening to get your chains or winch wire through. Might be an idea that you can use. I hope that helps. Cheers, chilli..
kraven
Hegelian Scum
Dang, that's a good idea, chili. U-bolts are pretty dang strong if you get them off spring packs.
I went ahead and finished up the bumper mount today, but didn't add any plate because I just didn't want to head out to the steel shop.
Here's the final mounting with the tire carrier mocked up. I gotta get some heim joints for it, which reminds me to give Dave a shout out for clever engineering. instead of one of those run of the mill swing hinges, he used heim joints which is really clever. I just have to get some new ones and get this thing fitted up and I'm golden. (also some 5 lug stud mounted to the tire plate.) Also have to finish up the tag lights. Tag lights are serious business for vehicle inspection in NC.
I went ahead and finished up the bumper mount today, but didn't add any plate because I just didn't want to head out to the steel shop.
Here's the final mounting with the tire carrier mocked up. I gotta get some heim joints for it, which reminds me to give Dave a shout out for clever engineering. instead of one of those run of the mill swing hinges, he used heim joints which is really clever. I just have to get some new ones and get this thing fitted up and I'm golden. (also some 5 lug stud mounted to the tire plate.) Also have to finish up the tag lights. Tag lights are serious business for vehicle inspection in NC.
kraven
Hegelian Scum
Spent most of the spare time I've had getting my Mercury ready for Hot Rod Power Tour. It's a thrash, since she hasn't been on the road in a few years.
Anyway, I did buy a tablet to use for nav, and have been reading up on how to jack it into the truck's sound system.
Got a couple of mechanical issues with the beater, including an irritating trans leak and a howl in the rear axle. But nothing that serious.
I'm hoping to get the tablet mount in the truck soon so I can get some pov footage of what I'm doing with it. These threads are always better with video.
Anyway, I did buy a tablet to use for nav, and have been reading up on how to jack it into the truck's sound system.
Got a couple of mechanical issues with the beater, including an irritating trans leak and a howl in the rear axle. But nothing that serious.
I'm hoping to get the tablet mount in the truck soon so I can get some pov footage of what I'm doing with it. These threads are always better with video.
kraven
Hegelian Scum
It's pretty great how much fun you can have in a truck that's already beat up. :sombrero:
chilliwak
Expedition Leader
I most definatly agree with that sir!:wings: